Automatic folding door



May 5, 1925.

` w. M. KARR AUTOMATIC FOLDING DOOR Filed Aug. 28. 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwuento/c lWll/AM M. {AK/f D w E n w aucun@ May 5, 1925,. 1,536,867

w. M. KARR `AUTOMATIC FLDING DoR Filed Aue'.. 28, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 5, 1925. 1,536,867

. w. M. lKAr-R AUTOMATIC FOLDING `:DOOR

Filed Aug. 25, 1924 5 sheets-sheet 5 May 5,v 1925.

W. M. KARR AUTOMATI C FOLDING DOOR Filed Aug. 28, 1924- 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 'WAV/WM 5 Sheets- Sheet 5 May 5, 1925.

W. M. KARR AUTOMATIC FOLDING Doon Filed Auzl 28. 1924 Patented May 5, 1925.

WILLIAM M. KARR, 0F GOTHENBURG, NEBRASKA.

AUTOMATIC FOLDING- DOOR.

Applicaton filed August 28, 1924. Serial No. 734,785.

To all whom it may concern. ,f

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. Kann, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gothenburg, in the county of Dawson and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Folding Doors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention appertains to closures and more particularly to doors for garages, the ies of ice wagons and the like.

The primary object of the present invention is tov provide anovel door or gate with an improved means for permitting the automatic opening of the door or gate upon 4the release of a suitable-catch or trip.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel sectional folding door and novel means for automatically opening the door one section at a time, the door being adapted to vbe folded upon itself during the opening movement thereof.

A further object of the invention is the vprovision of novel means for'holding the pivoted Vsections of the door in their folded position and novel means for holding the entire door in its opened position against accidental displacement.

A further objectof the invention is to provide releasable means for holding the sections of the door locked together in their collapsed position during the opening and closing movement of the door.

A further object of the-invention is to provide an improved door embodying a pair of pivotally connected sections, one of said sections being hingedly connected with one side of the door frame and novel means for engaging each door section for holding' the same against normal swinging movement, the outer door section being adapted to operate the holding means of the other door section to permit the swinging movement thereof when the first door section has been released and opened to its full position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel closure of the above character which will be durable and eiiicient in use. one that will be simple and easy to manufacture and one which can be placed upon the market at a small cost'.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction,

arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described, claimed, and illustrated in the ac. companying drawings, in which drawings,

Figure l is a front elevation of the improvedy closure showing the same in its closed position and applied to a garage,

igure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the garage showing the improved closure incorporated therewith,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevation looking from the opposite side of the garage showing the improved closure incorporated therewith'and illustrating the novel catch employed for holding the door in its closed position,

Figure 4 is a transverse section throughl its closed position and illustrating the novel catch carried by the door sections for permittingithe sections to be locked together during the opening and closing movement of the door, the section being taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 4 looking in the direction ofthe arrows,

Figure 6 is a front elevation of the garage showing the door or closure in its fully opened position,

Figure 7 4is a horizontal section taken on the line 7 7 of Figure showing the door in its fully opened position and illustrating the catch for holding the door open,

Figure 8 is a horizontal section through the door taken on the line 8 8 of Figure 6 looking in the direction of the arrows showing the door in its fully opened position 'and illustrating the novel releasable catch for holding the door sections locked together, f

Figure 9 is a vertical section through'the door showing the door in its fully opened position and taken on the line 9 9 of Figure 7 looking in the direction of the arrows and illustrating the means .for holding the doorin its opened position and the means for holding the sections ofthe door locked together,

Figure l0 is a detail vertical sectionv taken 21 which consist of leaves on the line -10 of Figure 1 illustrating the novel means utilized for holding the innermost section of the door in its closed position untiLthe outer section of the door has been swung to its opened position,

Figure 11 is a detail section taken on the line 11-11 of Figure 6 showing the catch utilized for holding the innermost dool sec garage B in the drawing simply to illustrate the use and operation thereof'.

The garageB can be o any desired construction and as shown includes the side walls 15 and 16 and the front-wall 17 which is proa'ided with an enlarged door opening 18 which can be surrounded by any preferred type of door frame.

rIhe door A comprises a pair of companion sections 19 and 20 which are adapted to fold one upon the other during the opening and closing movement of the door. These sections 19 and 2O are hingedly connectedtogether at their meeting edges by strap hinges 22 and 23 which extend the full width of the door sections 19 and 20. 'Ihe inner ends of the leaves 22 and 23 are provided with aligned hinge barrels 24 which receive a hinge rod 25 which extends substantially the full height of the door.

The outer ends of the leaves 22 are provided With hinge barrels 26 which align with hinge barrels 27 carried by the side wall 15 of the garage and these barrels 26 and 27 receive a hinge pin' or rod 28 which also extends substantially the full height of the door. It can be seen by this construction that the door is hingedly connected to one side of the garage at one edge thereof.

A spring 29 is coiled about the hinge rod 25 and has its opposite ends anchored as at 31 and 32 to the door sections 19 and 20 respectively and this spring normally tends to rotate the section upon the hinge rod toward and in abutment with' the section 19. 'l In order to normally hold the door section 20 against swinging movement and the door in its fully closed position a novel releasable trip mechanism 33 is provided for this purpose.

This means 33 comprises a rigid lock bar 34 riveted or otherwise secured to the door Yrigi section 2O and thevouter end of this bar eX- tends laterally beyond the free outer end of the door section.

A pivoted catch lever 35 is roclably secured to a face plate 36 which is bolted or otherwise secured to theside wall 16 of the garage B. This pivoted catch lever 35 extends orwardly from the side wall 16 of the arage and is disposed in the path oi' the lock bar 34 and the lock bar is adapted to engage in a notch 37 forined in the said pivoted catch lever 35 when the door is in its fully closed position. A guide plate 38 is carried by the face plate 36 and forms means for guiding theV rigid lock bar 34 under. the catch lever 35 during the closing movement of the door section 20. The pivr oted ca tch lever 35 is normally urged downwardly into engagement with the rigid lock bar 34 by means of an expansion spring 39 which is coiled about a guide rod 40 mounted in suitable guides 41 secured to the said side wall 16.

In order to permit the raising of the catch lever 35 against the tension of the coil spring 39, a rock shaft 42 extends'through the side wall 16 and is provided with a lift lug 43 for engaging under the said pivoted catch. r

An operating handle 44 is secured to the outer end-ot' the rock shaft 42 and it is obvious that by operating the handle 44 that the lift lug 43 formed on the shaftwill be brought into engagement withlthe lower sur face of the catch lever 35 for raising the same. I

It is to be understood at this point, that any desired mechanism can be connected to the handle 44 and arranged at a point distant from the garage door, so that the said catch lever can be operated by the occupant of an* automobile approaching the garage without necessitating the occupant from getting out of the automobile.

In order to permit the catch lever to be operated from the interior of the garage the inner end of the rock shaft 42 has secured thereto, an operating handle 45.

Now when the catch lever 35 has been raised, it is obvious that the door section 2O will automatically 'swing open into engagement with the section 19 under the influence of the spring 29.

In order to permit the vautomatic opening of the dr or section 19, a spring 46 of the desired size and strength is coiled about the hinge r0d 28 and the opposite terminals of this spring are secured as at 47 and 4S to the side wall 15 of the'garageand the door section 19 respectively.

. In order to normally hold the door section 19 against swinging movement under the tension of the sprmg 46 a pivoted catch lever 49 1s carried by the upper edge of the door section 19 adjacent to the inner edge thereof'. By referring to Figure 1() f the drawing itLcan be seen that the pi-voted catch lever 49 is rockably mounted at a point intermediate its ends upon a suitable racket 50 which is bolted or otherwise secured to the said door section 19. The inner end of the lever 49 is provided with a tapered nose 51 and a notch 52 in its upper edge and a keeper plate 53 is bolted to the inner face of the front wall 17 of the garage B and disposed in the path of the lever. A contractile coil spring 54 is connected to the outer end of the lever 49 and to the garage door section 19 and this spring normally tends to hold the inner end f wardly and the walls of the notch will engage the said keeper plate and thus hold the door section in its closed position. The outer end of the latch lever 49 is also provided with-an inclined nose 55 for a purpose which will now be described.

The upper edge of-the door section 20 has secured thereto a trip plate 56 which extends above the upper edge thereof. This trip plate is so arranged as to be in the path of the inclined nose 55 of the catch lever 49 when the door section 20 is being swung to an opened position. i g v Thus when the catch 35 has been released and the door section 2O swings open, the trip plate 56 will engage the nose 55 and swing the trip catch 49 moving the inner end thereof downward and out of engagement with the keeper plate 53. This will permit' the inner door section 19 to swing open under the influence of the spring 46.

It is desirable to lock the sections 19 and 20'together durilng the opening movement of the door and,` a .novel releasable lock is provided for this purpose, which will now be described.

The -door .section 19 is provided with a slot 57 adjacent to the pivot point thereof and suitablel keeper plates are secured to the opposite faces of the door section and are provi-ded withslots therein which are adapted to register with the slot 57 in the door section. The door section 20 adjacent to its outer end is provided with a .slot 59 and slotted face plates 60 and 61 are secured to the outer and inner faces of the. door on each sideof the slot. The inner face plate 6l has formed thereon a suitableA bracket 62 to which is pivoted-a notched latch lever 63 which extends through the door. The portion of the latch lever 63 which projects beyond the inner face of the door section 20 the bracket also constitutes is provided with a manipulating handle 64. Now when the door section 20 is swung upon the door section 19 the'pivoted catch lever 63 will ride into the slot 57 and the notched end of the lever will engage the outer keeper plate 58. It is obvious that the catch will hold the two :sections of the door releasably lconnected together.

In order to hold the door from swinging back too far and to hold the door in its opened-position., a bracket 65 is secured to the side wall 15 of the garage and projects laterally therefrom adjacent to the front of the garage and this bracket 65 is braced by suitable straps 66 and 67. By referring to Figure 7 of the drawing it can be seen that the bracket 65 is disposed inthe path of the door and thus the same will stop the door from swinging too far back and that a keeper strap which is adapted to be engaged by the notched end of a pivoted latch lever68 which is carried by the door section 20. This latch lever 68 extends through a slot 69 formed in the door section and is pivotally connected at its inner end as at 70 to a suitable face plate 71 connected to the door 20. The notched end of the latch lever 68 is provided with the usual inclined guide nose for engaging the keeper bracket 65 so as to cause the lifting of the lever when the door is swung to its openedv position and the notched end of the lever is normally urged downward into the path of the keeper bracket by means of-an expansion spring 72, the lower end of which engages a laterally extending lip 73 formed on'the said lever.

This spring 72 is coiled about a guide rod tion 20. The upper end of the expansion spring 72 engages the guide bracket .7o as clearly shown in Figure 4 of the drawing.

-In order to permit the convenient operation of the latch lever 68 when it is desired to close the door after the same has been opened, a handle 77 is pivoted adjacent its upper end as at 78 to a suitable bracket 79 which is secured in any desired way to the door section 19. The extreme upper end of the handle 77 is provided with a right angularly disposed arm 80 which overlies the outer end of the latch lever 68. This han-l die-77 is of a suiiicient size to permit the convenient gripping thereof by the hand of the operator of the door aud it is obvious that when the handle 77 is pulled outwardly the same will be rocked and the arm 80 will engage the free end of the lever and lift the inner end thereof upwardly out of engagement with the guideand keeper bracket 65 and thus' permit the swinging of the sec-tion 19 on its hinge to its closed position. It can be seen that when the handle 77 is pulled for operating the catch 68, that this motion will also close the door thus facilitating the operation of the door. p

In operation of the improved door, when it is desired to open the same it is merely necessary to actuate the handle 44 which will raise the latch lever 35, a's heretobefore described, and the tension, of the spring 29 will swing the door section 2O on the hinge rod' 25 into engagement with the door section 19. This will move the trip plate 56 into engagement with the outer end of the lever 49 causing the lowering of the inner end thereof from out of engagement with the keeper plate 53. This will permit the again engage the opening of the door section 19 under the influence of the spring 46. Now as the door section 2O is swung into engagement with the door section 19 the latch lever 60 will ride into engagement with the keeper plate 58 which will hold the two door sections locked together. As the door swings open under; the influence of the spring 46 in engagement with the guide and keeper briacket the latch lever 68 will ride into engagement with the said bracket and hold the door against accidental swinging movement.

Ready access .can now be had to theinterior of the garage o'r other body with which the door is associated.

`Whenit is desired-.to closen the door it is merely necessary to first grasp the handle 77 and actuate the latch lever 68` and ,the

' door will be swung to its half closed position after which the handle 64 of the latch lever 63 `is operated so as to move the latch lever from out of engagement with the keeper 63 and this movement swings the doorvto its fully closed position. As the door section 2O is moved from out of engagement with the section 19 the trip plate 56 will ride out of engagement with the latch lever 49 permitting the latch lever to keeper plate 53 carried by the upper portion of the front wall of the garage.

The arrangement of the door is such, that the same will open quickly without any likelihood of the same striking the operator of the door, in view of the small area of space the door occupies during the opening movenient thereof. This is one of the most important `features of the swinging folding sections of the door.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that a novel door has been provided of exceptionally simple and durable construction which will automatically 'fold and open upon the releasing of a single catch.

Changes as to details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope ot` this invention, but

'.'Vhat ll claim as new is:-

1. The combination with a door traine and a door including a pair of sections, means hingedly connecting one section to the door frame, means hingedly connecting the other section t'o the first mentioned section, of a door opening device including resilient means normally tending to swing the second section on the first section, means normally tending to swing the second section to an opened position on the door frame, means normally holding the first section against movement, means normally holding the second section againstmovement, and

means operated by the first section :tor releasing the holding means of the second section upon opening movement thereof.

2. The combination with a door including sections hingedly connected together, and means normally holding the door in a closed position, of a door opening device including means for automaticallyA swinging one door section open at a time upon the manual release of said door holding means.

3. The combination wlth a door frame and a door hingedly connected thereto including hingedly connected sections, ot a. door opening device including resilient means normally' tending to swing the door on the door frame to an open position, a rclcasable catch normally holding the door closed, resilient means normally tending to swing one of the pivoted hinged sections in abutting relation to the other section, a manually operable releasable catch for normally holding the mentioned hinge section against swinging movement, and means carried by said mentioned hinge section for cngaging the first mentioned releasable latch.

4. The combination witha door frame and a door hingedly connected thereto including a pair of hingedly connected sec tions, of a door opening device including resilient means .normally tending to swing the door on the door frame to an open position, a releasable latch normally holdingl the door closed, resilient means normally tending to swing one of the door sections in abutting relation to the other section, a releasable catch for engaging the mentioned hinged section normally holding the same agalnst swinging movement, a swinging lever arranged at one side of the door for operating said releasable catch, means carried by the mentioned door section for operating and releasing the first mentioned latch. and means for releasably locking the hinged sections of the door together during the opening and closing movement of the door.

5. The combination with a sectional door` means hingedly connecting the' meeting edges of the sections together, a door frame. and means hingedliv connecting the outer edge of one door section and the door frame. of a door opening device including resilient means for normally swinging the door section connected to the door frame to an open 'lli `tending to swing one door section upon the 'other door section, a hand operated latch for normally| holding the last mentloned door section against swinging movement, means ycarried by the last mentioned door section for operating the irst mentioned catch when the last .mentioned'door section has swung to its opened position in abutting relation to the other door section, releasable means for connecting the door sections together, and releasable means 'for holding the door in its opened position against accidental movement. v

6. The combination with a door frame, a door, a plurality of aligned strap hinges having the leaves thereof connected respectively with the door and door frame, a single hinge rod extending through the barrels of the hinges, of a door opening device including a' spring coiled about said rod having its "terminals connected respectively with the frame of the door normally tending to swing the door to an opened position, a bracket carried by the frame and projecting laterally therefrom for limiting the opening and swinging movement of the door, a releasable catch for normally holde ing the door in a closed position against said spring means, and a releasable ycatch carried by the door for engaging said bracket for holding the door against accidental swingin movement when the same is in its opened p sition.

7. The combination with a door frame, and a door including an'inner and an outer section, means hingedly connecting the inner and outer sections together at their meeting edges, and means hingedly connecting the inner section at its outer edge to thel door frame, of a door opening device including resilient means normally tendin to swing the inner door section to an opene position on the door frame, a keeper plate carried by the door frame, a pivoted latch lever carried by the inner section of the door for engaging the keeper to normally hold the said door section against Swingin movement, spring means normally ten in to swing the outer section to an open position in abutting engagement to the inner section of the door, a releasable latch for normally vholding the outer section of the door against swinglng movement, and a trip plate carried b the outer section of the door arrange in the path of the latch lever carried by the inner section of the door and permitting the automaticallyV releasing of the outer section of the door.V

8. The combination with a door frame a door including inner and outer sections, .means hingedly connecting the meeting edges of the inner and outer sections of the door together, and means hingedly connecting the inner section of the door to the door frame, of a door openingdevice including resilient means normally tending to swing the inner surface of the door open on the door frame, a releasable catch carried by the inner surface of the door for engagement with the door frame to hold the section against normal swinging movement, resilient means normally tending to swing the outer section of the door into abutting relation to the inner section of the door, a releasable latch for normally holding the outer section of the door against swinging movement, means carried by the outer section of the door for operating'the catch carried by the inner section of the door permitting the swinging movement of the inner section of the door, a releasable catch carried by the outer section of the `door for engaging theV inner section of the door when the outer section is swun to an opened position in engagement witli the inner section of the door, a laterally projecting bracket carried by the door frame for limiting the opening and swinging movement of the door, a latch carried by the outer section of the door arranged to engage the bracket when the door is swung to its fully opened position and an operatinglever for the last mentioned latch carried by the inner section of the-door.

l 9. The combination with a door frame and la door including an inner and an outer sec-` tion, means hingedly connecting the meeting edges of the sections `together and means hingedly connectingl the inner section to the door frame, of an automatic door opening .device includingspring means normally tending to swing the inner section open on the'door frame, releasable means normally holding the inner section against swinging movement, resilient means normally tending to swing the outer door section on the inner door section into abutting engagement therewith, means carried b the outer door section for actuating said releasable means, a latch bar carried 'tby theA outer door section and rojecting 'laterally therefrom, -a pivoted atch lever carried by the door frame arranged to engage the latch bar, a rock shaft for operating said latch lever, and handles secured to the inner and outer ends of the rock shaft for permitting the operation thereof. 10. The combination with a door frame and a door including inner and outer sections, means hingedly connectin the meeting edges of thescct'ions. toget er, means -hingedly connecting the inner section to the door frame, spring means normally tending to swing the inner section to an opened posil tion on the door frame, a laterally extending bracket carried by the door frame, arranged in the path ofthe inner section' to limit the swinging, movement thereof, a. releasable catch arranged to normally hold the inner section of the door against swinging movcment, resilient means normally tending to swing the outer section of the door on the inner section of the door into abutting engagement therewith, means carried by the outer section of the door for engaging the catch, a releasable catch carried by the outer section of the door for holding the same against swinging movement, a pivoted catch carried by the outer section of the door arranged to engage the laterally extending bracket when the door is opened to its full extent to prevent accidental closing movement of the door, said latch lever extending through the outer section of the door, a rock lever extending through the inner section of the door and pivotally secured thereto arranged to engage the inner endof the pivoted latch carried by the outer section of the door when the outer section of the door is in its opened position, and a hand grip formed on said lever arranged to overlie the inner face of the inner section of the door.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.'

WILLIAM M. KAR-R. Witnesses:

GEORGE W. WRrGH'r, IRVING. L. MCCATHAN. 

